When Glacier County Honey Co. held its first "fill your own bucket day" three years ago it didn't expect anywhere near 400 people to attend.

"It's been the biggest surprise in the world for us," said Courtney Fullerton, who owns the honey company with her husband, Greg. "The first summer we did it, we never dreamed anybody would come up for it."

But a few hundred people came, and the following year, that number doubled.

Fullerton's not sure what to expect this year when Glacier County Honey Co., located near Babb, hosts "fill your own bucket day" on Saturday.

"We're glad people are so interested in bees," she said.

In addition to being able to purchase honey at bargain prices in whatever container you want, the day also serves as an open house, giving people a chance to see how honey is harvested.

"Extracting honey's not particularly complicated, but it is kind of an involved process," Fullerton said. "People tend to really enjoy seeing how it's done."

Visitors can drop off their jars or buckets to be filled and then take a tour of Glacier County Honey Co.'s warehouse.

"The biggest draw is definitely the tours," Fullerton said.

People will get a chance to see how honey is extracted from the combs and how the warehouse operates.

Anna Ritchie of Great Falls went to "fill your own bucket day" last year. She home-schools her sons, ages 9 and 12, and heard about the open house at Glacier County Honey Co. from a fellow home-schooler. Her sons had recently studied bees, and going to the honey company gave them a chance to learn more about where honey comes from.

"They really enjoyed it," Ritchie said.

Plus it was a chance to stock up on good honey.

"I had been looking for raw honey," Ritchie said. "It's hard to find."

Ritchie brought a case of 12 quart-sized mason jars to fill with honey.

"It was an awesome deal," she said.

This year, Glacier County Honey Co. will sell its honey for $3.15 per pound during "fill your own bucket day." Containers that hold 20 pounds or more will be charged at $2.95 a pound.

"I encourage people to bring buckets that can hold over 20 pounds of honey," Fullerton said.

Large containers take less time to fill compared to lots of small containers and therefore, can be filled at the discounted price, she explained.

However, some people prefer to bring small containers and give them away as gifts.

People bring everything from mason jars to used jars. Fullerton does recommend filling glass containers. Because the honey is raw, it will crystallize. It can be re-liquified by heating it, and that's best to do in glass.

There is a 60-pound limit per person.

Cash and checks will be accepted.

"If we can take credit cards, we will," Fullerton said.

However, spotty Internet connections in the area sometimes make it impossible to process credit cards.

Glacier County Honey Co. also will serve refreshments.

"They had all kinds of things to buy," Ritchie said.

That included ornaments, cookbooks and lip balm and other products made from beeswax.

Ritchie won't be able to attend "fill your own bucket day" this year, so instead she's sending jars along with a friend who is going. She's eager to restock her honey supply since the honey she bought last year is gone.

"The honey is excellent," she said. "It's the best honey I've ever had."

Fill your own bucket day

When: Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Glacier County Honey Company, 71 West Shore Road, Duck Lake, Babb (Use the directions located on the company's website — glaciercountyhoney.com. Google maps will lead you to the wrong destination).

Cost: $3.15 per pound, and $2.95 a pound for containers that hold at least 20 pounds. Cash and checks will be accepted.